Outrigger operating means



June l, 1943. L FALCON r l 2,320,919

`OUTRIGGFR OPERATING 4MEANS Filedduly 1, 1959 l @sheets-sheet 1 June l, 1943.

J. FALCON OUTRIGGER OPERATING MEANS I 2 sheets-sheet v 'Fliled July ll 1959 fw/fl/v Tua/f f/ EMCO/7 Patented June 1, 1943 UNiTsD STATES PATENT :orifice OUTRIGGER OPERATING MEANS Jeronimo Falcon, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 1, 1939, Serial No. 282,509

Claims.

This invention relates to Outrigger operating means.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction in which means are provided for operating an Outrigger for convertible cars to extended or collapsed position and at the same time swinging the entire assembly to a substantially horizontal position in the back portion of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which is eiiicient, reliable and which is capable of being operated by a single plunger cylinder disposed at each side of the car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an Outrigger operating construction in which the Outrigger is raised in two stages by a single and unitary operating means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatically operating lock for locking the collapsed Outrigger to the main bow while the assembly is at the intermediate and completely collapsed positions so that such assembly will act as a unit when being raised from the substantially horizontal position to the substantially vertical position or vice versa.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the detailed description below, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation showing the parts in the position which they assume when the Outrigger is fully extended.

Figure 2 is a similar side elevationa-l view showing the position which the parts assume in the intermediate position in full lines and in the completely collapsed substantially horizontal position in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a partial back view of the parts taken from the right of Figure 2 with portions broken away for greater clearness when the operating means are in the intermediate position.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the guide rod Yand the pivoted latch cooperating therewith, and

Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the slide member.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts represent like elements throughout the various iigures, the operating cylinder is shown at I0 having an operating plunger II. Only a single operating plunger and cylinder is illustrated in the drawings and in some instances such may be suicient for raising the top construction, but as a usual construction, an operating cylinder and cooperating parts are placed upon each side of the automobile.

The plunger Il is pivotally connected at I2 to an extension or transverse member I4 fixed to a tubular slide I5, rIhe other end of the transverse member is provided with an aperture L6 in which a pivot pin Il is located and to which the operating link I8 only partially shown, is pivotally connected. The operating link I8 is connected in any desired manner to the out-- rigger construction of any desired type. The Outrigger construction, not shown, is pivotally connected to the main bow I9 as shown, for instance, in my copending application Serial Number 282,508, led July 1, 1939.

The tubular member I5 is formed in a kmanner particularly shown in Figure 5 and has a bore 20 of square cross-section preferably through which extends guide rod 2| of corresponding cross-section. The guide rod 2| at `its lower end is secured by means of a bolt 22 to a member 23 of the conguration best shown in 'Figures 1 and 3 to which the main bow I9 is iixedly secured by any desired means, such as screws, rivets and the like,

The member 23 has an extension 24 extending downwardly and forwardly and such eXtension 24 is pivotally secured by a pivot pin -25 to a fixed portion of the frame work of the automobile so that the entire assembly Amay be swung about such pivot to completely collapsed position.

The tubular member I5 is also provided with a pivot pin 26 on which is pivotally mounted the hook or latch member 2. The latch member 2l is of the shape shown in Figure 4 particularly, and has a hook end 28 which at certain positions of the construction cooperates with a latching bolt 29 provided on the guide rod 2l. A leaf spring 30 is also xed to the pivot pin 26 as shown more particularly in Figure 3 which cooperates with the pin 3l provided on the latch 2l in order to urge the latch to locking position with the bolt 29.

The latch 21 is also provided with a right angularly extending projection 32 having a threaded aperture 33 -therein for receiving a stop bolt .34 secured in adjusted position by the nut 35.` The stop bolt 34 is designed to cooperate withthe plunger rod II for removing the hook portion 28 of the latch 21 from engagement with the locking bolt 29.

The tubular member l5 has a diagonally extending top portion so as to permit the tubular member I5 to extend toward the extreme top of the guide rod 2| while accommodating the spacing member 36 connecting the upper portion of the guide rod 2| to the main bow |9.

The operation of the above-described construction is as follows: When the top is folded down completely as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the latch member 2l engages with the locking bolt 29- since the stop bolt SI1 is entirely clear of the operating plunger Il. In such position, the tubular slide |5 is locked to the guide rod 2| and since the tubular slide |5 by means of the transverse member I4 is connected to the Outrigger construction, such Outrigger construction is held in completely collapsed condition on the main bow I9. Therefore, the Outrigger construction, the guide rod 2|, the slide member l5 and the main bow act as a single unitary construction and upon a movement upwardly of the plunger the entire assembly will be swung about the pivot point 25 to the intermediate position shown in full lines in Figure 2. However, as the entire assembly swings to the substantially vertical position, then the stop bolt 34 approaches the plunger and when the intermediate position is reached, contact is made between the stop bolt 34 and the side of the plunger which forces the latch member 21 in a clockwise rotation against the action of the spring 30 so as to release the hool: 23 from the locking bolt 29 and thereby leave the tubular t..

slide I5 free to slide along the guide rod 2| and thereby extend the extensible members or outrigger pivoted to the main bow I9 by the action of the link I8 thereon. When in fully extended position, the various members will occupy the positions shown in Figure 1.

When the top is to be lowered a reverse movement takes place. The plunger Il descends and as it descends the slide l5 is at first guided from its upper position on the guide rod 2| to its lower position thereon. This causes a collapsing of the Outrigger elements. When the latch member 2'1 reaches the locking bolt 29, the hook 28 will cooperate therewith since at such time the plunger Il will begin to move away from the stop bolt i 3d. This locks the Various elements together and they are then swung by the plunger I from the intermediate to the fully collapsed substantially horizontal position.

It will be noted that only a single operating to member is required at each side of the car and also that the operating parts are reduced to relatively few in number.

I claim:

1. In combination with a convertible top com-' prising a main bow pivotally mounted to the body of a vehicle and top extension members collapsible on said bow, a guide rod adjacent said bow and having a sleeve slidable thereon, power means constructed and arranged to exert thrust substantially normal to the direction of sliding of said sleeve to elevate said bow, said power means upon further actuation after elevation of said bow causing said sleeve to slide along said guide rod whereby said extension members traverse the leading edge of the top substantially horizontally, and latch means connecting said sleeve and said extension members, said latch means locking said sleeve and said extension means when in collapsed position and being automatically released when said bow approaches fully elevated position.

3. In' combination with a convertible top comprising a main bow pivotally mounted to the body of a vehicle and top extension members collapsible on said bow, a guide rod adjacent said bow and having a sleeve slidable thereon, power means constructed and arranged to exert thrust substantially normalto the side walls of said sleeve to elevate said bow,rlatch elements one of which is carried by said guide rod and another of which is carried by one of said extension members, said power means comprising a push rod pivotally secured to said sleeve and adapted to cause disengagement of said latch elements and actuation of said extension members upon further movement after elevation of said bow.

4. In combination with a convertible top comprising a plurality of members at least two of which are pivotally attached to the body of a vehicle at each side thereof and others of which directly support a top covering, latch means preventing rotation of all of said members until the other members which support the covering are first collapsed, power means adapted to`retract said other members and thereafter rotate all oi said members about the point of pivotal attachment to final collapsed position, and additional latch means carried by said members and operative during final collapsing movement of all members to lock all of said members in fully collapsed position.

5. In combination with a convertible top conilprising a plurality of members at least two of which are pivotally attached to the body of a vehicle at each side thereof and others of which directly support a top covering, latch means preventing rotation of all of said members until the other members which support the covering are first collapsed, power means adapted to retract Osaid other members and thereafter rotate all of JERoNiMo FALCON. 

